Spider Bite On Baby : How To Identify And Treat It?

spider bite on baby

Spider bite on baby what makes you worry about when your baby is in pain? Baby prone to insect bites is common until the baby comes to know what the insects are. Maybe adults also face insect bites in their life.

But babies are not expressive and bearable like adults. Among the insects in the house, the spider is also one. The spiders in the house are not harmful and they will not bite until it gets disturbed.

Maybe spider bites are common in places where more spiders wander or live.

More than 50000 species of spiders are available around the world. Not all spiders are venomous or poisonous causing harm to the victim. Their bites are harmless and they can be treated easily with home remedies. The bites are harmful if venomous spiders like black widow spiders and brown recluse spider bites.

These spiders are common in central and southern parts of the United States. India is also home to many spider types and black widow spiders are found in certain parts of India. Brown recluse spider bite cases are also there in India.

Even the spider bites are not common in all places, knowing how to treat the bites, is helpful in case a spider bites your little one. Let us know how to identify the spider bite on a baby and how to treat it.

 

Symptoms Of Spider Bite On Baby- Non-Venomous

The most common symptoms are redness and swelling that appear when injecting venom. Since the bites are harmless, the symptoms are mild and it requires not worrying about them.

The common symptoms of harmless spider bites are;

  • Itching
  • Redness
  • Pain
  • Swelling

These symptoms can easily treat at-home care with little treatment. But it needs special attention and treatment if the bites are by venomous spiders like black widow and brown recluse, It can cause severe and harmful symptoms to a baby.

What happens if the bites are from the black widow and brown recluse spiders?

 

Black Widow Spider Bite Symptoms

Black Widow Spider - tinydale
Image Credit

The black widow spider can identify by its black and shiny body and can see red hourglass shape on the abdomen. The sheds, woodpiles, and barns are the habitat of black widow spiders.

Symptoms of a black widow spider bite are;

  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Moving difficulty
  • Muscle weakness
  • Severe stomach pain
  • Body pain
  • Swelling and redness
  • Wheezing problem
  • Headache or dizziness.

 

Brown Recluse Spider Symptoms

The brown recluse spiders appear dark brown and have a dark violin-shaped mark on the upper body. They are often found in dark and quiet areas like woodpiles and under the deck. The brown recluse spider’s bites can cause severe side effects in later days.

  • The bite site will turn blue or purple as the days go on and appear like a crater
  • White ring forms around the bite and a larger red ring cover it outside
  • Damage the skin slightly
  • Itching and soreness around the bite
  • Redness and burning
  • Fever
  • Muscle pain
  • Vomiting
  • Chills

If you are seeing any serious symptoms or suspect that it may be the cause of black widow spider bites or brown recluse spider bites. Search for the spiders that bite your baby and find it.

It may help give proper treatment when you are running to the hospital.  Immediate treatment is required in this case. Your doctor may give different medications and pain relievers to cure the symptoms.

 

Here are the images of a brown recluse spider:

Brown Recluse Spider - tinydale
Image Credit

Treating Spider Bite On Baby

Harmless in-house spider bites are easily treatable with home remedies. It does not require treatment as it requires for the black widow, and brown recluse spider bites. If you find any spider bites on your body, follow these steps to prevent further infection and speed up the healing process.

Clean it up: wash the bite area gently with water and soap. You may require doing it several times a day until the bite heals.

Keep away infection: Apply antibiotic lotion or ointment. It helps in cutting off infections

Ice pack to ease the pain and swelling: place an ice pack or wet cloth on the bite area to reduce the swelling and pain.

Infant Tylenol: if your baby seems disturbed from sleeping due to the pain, you can give an infant dose of Tylenol or acetaminophen.

Most of the time the mild symptoms get cured with these simple home treatments, if it does not work and symptoms worsen contact a pediatrician without fail.

 

When To Go To a Doctor?

As mentioned earlier, the in-house spider bites are mild and will not cause any serious symptoms. It can treat at-home care. If the black widow, brown recluse, or any venomous spiders bite your baby or your baby experiences severe reactions to a bite, reach out immediately to your pediatrician.

The severe symptoms are;

  • Trouble in breathing or wheezing
  • If your baby faints or inactive
  • The baby develops a fever
  • If the bites get worsen or if the pain continues for more than two days

If you find any of these symptoms in your baby, don’t keep your baby at home, run to the hospital and get the proper treatment from the pediatrician.

 

Preventing Spider Bite On Baby

You can protect your baby from spider bites by taking preventative measures. What are they?

Protect through clothing: cover your baby completely with full sleeves and protective wearing like shoes and gloves while allowing outdoors to play.

Put firewood outside: firewood or woodpiles are the best places for spider webs. Keep the firewood and other wood out to save the baby from spider bites.

Use insect repellent: insect repellent may protect your baby from spider bites. Make sure you are using repellent that is specific to the baby. It may also keep other insects away from the baby.

 

Conclusion

Spiders in the house generally will not bite. In case it happens with any angry spider or spider outdoors. That too bites your little one; it is somewhat concerning to save your baby from higher risk. Take the necessary steps to get first aid to your baby and further treatment.

More than that, precautionary measure is essential when taking or allowing the baby outdoors. It will help the baby in a safer zone. If you suspect the bites are from venomous spiders, act immediately to get help from a medical practitioner.

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